Spreadsheet

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Spreadsheets - Intro

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word processing | spreadsheet | database
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intro | storing data | formatting data | survey exercise | printing | charts | CountIf || wishlist exercise | mymarks exercise | budget99

APPLICATIONS - Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet01.jpg
Spreadsheets allow you to
  • STORE Data
  • FORMAT Data
  • PROCESS Data
  • Allows ANALYSIS of Data

Spreadsheets record information in tidy rows and columns, and format them as you would in a word processor; but the REAL power of spreadsheets is that they allow you to easily use that information in calculations right in the document.

It's like having a word processor and tens of thousands of calculators in tidy, neat rows and columns.

  • Information or "Data" is stored in the CELLS of a spreadsheet.
  • The cells are arranged into ROWS (that are numbered) and COLUMNS (labelled by letters)
  • Each cell can be identified by it's own unique "address" ie B4, E100 or Z2000
  • There are three main "types" of data that can be stored in a spreadsheet
    • TEXT,
    • NUMBERS
    • FORMULAS

Vocabulary and terms

  • "SPREADSHEETS" store, format and process DATA ie. Excel, OpenOffice, GoogleDocs
  • "LABELS" TEXT data is referred to ie."Name", "Rank", "613-823-8773"
  • "VALUES" NUMERIC data is referred to as ie. "3.1419", "27", "-1024"
  • "CELLS" Locations in a spreadsheet that store data
  • "ADDRESS" The "cell location" of data defined by it's ROW and COLUMN ie. This is cell D14 (Kind of like the game "Battleship")
  • "RANGE" An area of a spreadsheet defined by it's top left and bottom right cell addresses ie. B10..E15

Performing Calculations

You can perform calculations in spreadsheets by entering one of three types of formulas:
  1. Literal Values ie " = 100 * 20 "
    1. Go to any cell and tap the EQUAL SIGN to turn your spreadsheet into a calculator. =4/5 will give you the result of four divided by five
  2. Cell References ie " = B3 * B4 "
    1. Start by tapping the equal sign, but instead of typing in literal numbers, click on CELLS in your spreadsheet. Whatever values are currently in those cells will be calculated.
  3. Functions ie. " =SUM(B3..B4) "
    1. Typing in one of the dozens of STANDARD FUNCTIONS performs PREFABRICATED calculations on RANGES of cells
    2. A demonstration of the COUNTIF function can be found here

Spreadsheets_Options.png
 DISPLAY PROBLEMS:
On some machines, a formula may not actually display the intended result, but rather show the "compostion" of the formula instead:

  • Go to TOOLS - OPTIONS
  • Click the PLUS sign beside "OpenOffice CALC"
  • Turn OFF the "Display - Formulas" option
  • "Zero Values" can sometimes be left on or off as well - leave them ON